Jenner & Block Secures Denial of Certiorari from US Supreme Court in Anti-Terrorism Act Case Against Russian Bank

Jenner & Block preserved a significant victory for the family of Quinn Lucas Schansman when the US Supreme Court denied certiorari, allowing a Second Circuit decision to stand holding foreign state-owned entities accountable under the Anti-Terrorism Act for supporting terrorism.

The Supreme Court's decision leaves undisturbed a precedential Second Circuit ruling rejecting Sberbank of Russia's claims to sovereign immunity in a lawsuit related to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed all 298 people aboard including American passenger Quinn Lucas Schansman.

The Schansman family alleges that Sberbank and other Russian state-owned entities provided financial support to the Donetsk People's Republic for purchasing lethal military equipment used to carry out the attack. The Second Circuit became the first appellate court to hold that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's commercial activity exception applies to Anti-Terrorism Act claims against foreign state instrumentalities.

The denial of certiorari leaves in place important precedent strengthening accountability for terrorism where the defendant is owned by a foreign state. The decision finds that foreign state-owned banks cannot shield themselves behind sovereign immunity when engaged in commercial activities that allegedly facilitate terrorism.

The Jenner team included Partners Jason Hipp, Andrianna Kastanek, and Terri Mascherin, and Associates Ben Alter and Jonathan Marshall.

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© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

Jenner & Block Secures Denial of Certiorari from US Supreme Court in Anti-Terrorism Act Case Against Russian Bank

Jenner & Block preserved a significant victory for the family of Quinn Lucas Schansman when the US Supreme Court denied certiorari, allowing a Second Circuit decision to stand holding foreign state-owned entities accountable under the Anti-Terrorism Act for supporting terrorism.

The Supreme Court's decision leaves undisturbed a precedential Second Circuit ruling rejecting Sberbank of Russia's claims to sovereign immunity in a lawsuit related to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine, which killed all 298 people aboard including American passenger Quinn Lucas Schansman.

The Schansman family alleges that Sberbank and other Russian state-owned entities provided financial support to the Donetsk People's Republic for purchasing lethal military equipment used to carry out the attack. The Second Circuit became the first appellate court to hold that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's commercial activity exception applies to Anti-Terrorism Act claims against foreign state instrumentalities.

The denial of certiorari leaves in place important precedent strengthening accountability for terrorism where the defendant is owned by a foreign state. The decision finds that foreign state-owned banks cannot shield themselves behind sovereign immunity when engaged in commercial activities that allegedly facilitate terrorism.

The Jenner team included Partners Jason Hipp, Andrianna Kastanek, and Terri Mascherin, and Associates Ben Alter and Jonathan Marshall.

Related Capabilities

Related Locations

© 2026 Jenner & Block LLP. Attorney Advertising. Jenner & Block LLP is an Illinois Limited Liability Partnership including professional corporations. This publication, presentation, or event is not intended to provide legal advice but to provide information on legal matters and/or firm news of interest to our clients and colleagues. Readers or attendees should seek specific legal advice before taking any action with respect to matters mentioned in this publication or at this event. The attorney responsible for this communication is Brent E. Kidwell, Jenner & Block LLP, 353 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654-3456. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Jenner & Block London LLP, an affiliate of Jenner & Block LLP, is a limited liability partnership established under the laws of the State of Delaware, USA and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with SRA number 615729. Information regarding the data we collect and the rights you have over your data can be found in our Privacy Notice. For further inquiries, please contact dataprotection@jenner.com.

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